Day 9: Kids N Sport Equals Lots Of Money
08 Nov 2008
Well I’ve just got home from my daughter’s basketball training and whaddya know - It’s about to cost me even more money.
Not only do I have to find a way to be able to afford for her to stay with her team when she travels interstate in January (Thankfully I got some good prices on airfares so I can get us both over there - and I can stay with friends so that won’t cost me for a bed) and then have to find more money for her to play interstate again in June, her coach has just asked her to try out for something else, and while she may not make the actual team, the fact that where the trials are is so damn far away means it’s going to cost a fortune just to drive her out there - damn petrol prices. Without even thinking about what it’ll cost on the off chance she did make the team
Of course all this is on top of the weekly costs for her to play - the fuel to get there, the cost to play (and me to spectate) the twice a week travel to training, the registration fees etc etc etc.
Looking back on all I’ve spent just for her to play basketball (not counting other sports she has done, or other sports the other two have competed in) it’s truly a wonder any child makes it to a higher level. Or those that do it’s not suprising that a vast majority of those kids come from relatively well off families. You have to be just to be able to afford it.
With all the carry on about unfit, overweight children etc the government often rambles on about, you’d think they’d put some sort of incentive forward to make it cheaper and more available for children to be able to take up different sports. I’m sure there’s plenty of children out there that don’t do any exercise/play sports simply because their parents can’t afford it, or don’t have access to it etc.
While I would never stop my children from playing sport etc there are times that I wonder if I can truly afford it - actually I don’t really wonder - often I know I can’t afford it, but I keep doing it because the benefits far outweight the cost -at least to me - I’d rather my kids be active/part of a team etc where they can meet new people, learn the value of teammanship, get some exercise etc etc etc than have them sitting around at home in front of the tv/computer/xbox or out wandering the streets and getting into God only knows what type of trouble. I just wish it didn’t cost so damn much. As a single mum my income is fairly limited and often I find myself robbing peter to pay paul just so I can make sure this child can get to this activity or that child doesn’t let her teammates down by not being there - aside from the fact that I don’t think I could put up with the whining if they didn’t get to play.
